Unidentified individuals spray acid on sisters in Herat

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Unknown individuals sprayed acid on the faces of two sisters in the capital of western Herat province, officials said on Tuesday.

The victims were admitted to the Burns Ward of the Herat Hospital.

Mohammad Rafiq Sherzai, an official in-charge at the Herat Zonal Hospital, told Pajhwok Afghan News that early in the morning the two sisters were on their way to attend a course when they were attacked by unidentified individuals in Girdai Parak area of Herat city.

“As per medical reports, faces of the victims have suffered superficial irritations due to the acid. They health condition is stable now.”

He said the acidic substance used by the assailants is yet to be ascertained as the forensic tests are currently underway.

Farishta Ahmadi, one of the victims, recalled the incident, “We were going to course, when abruptly some persons threw something on our faces. We firstly thought it was some kind of boiled water. But (then) our faces started inflammation.”

“We then yelled and screamed and a shopkeeper next to us threw two buckets of water on us. I don’t remember anything since then. We used to hear about such incidents. But today we ourselves became a prey to it. I can’t even dare to get out of home anymore.”

She urged the government to ensure security of the citizens of Herat.

Aminullah Ahmadi, the father of the victims and a civil society activist, said, “Police had told me about 80 days back that I am under threat. But we never thought that my daughters would be attacked at 6:30am in the morning.”

He criticized the government’s failure to provide security to its people.

According to the sources of the provincial hospital, this is the second incident of acid attack in the province this year.